Assessing the effects of social media on eating behavior in Algerian university students.

Abstract

Background: Social media plays a central role in the daily lives of university students, influencing various aspects of behavior, especially their eating habits. The goal of this study was to adapt and validate the scale of effects of social media on eating behavior (SESMEB), which was initially established in Turkish, for use by Algerian university students.

Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2025 and May 2025. Participants filled out an online questionnaire covering socio-demographic data, social media usage patterns, and the SESMEB. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and the Spearman-Brown coefficient was used to measure reliability. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to assess construct validity, and independent t-tests were used to investigate item discrimination across extreme groups.

Results: The Algerian version of SESMEB demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.930). CFA confirmed a strong unidimensional structure, with factor loadings ranging from 0.49 to 0.75 and high model fit indices. SESMEB scores were significantly correlated with daily social media time (p < 0.001), indicating that higher social media engagement corresponded to a greater influence on eating behavior.

Conclusion: The adapted SESMEB is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the influence of social media on eating habits among Algerian university students. These findings provide a foundation for future study focused at encouraging healthy digital and nutritional behaviors among young people.